Shortly after my arrival at Plains Camp on a hot midsummer’s noon I’m drifting in a cool, round pool with corrugated iron sides. A Stewarts & Lloyds windmill clinks hypnotically overhead, slowly grinding to a halt as the breeze subsides. One could be forgiven for thinking one is on an African farm, but of course that’s exactly what the Hanssen family wants you to experience.

I’m sure you’ve seen the heading “Okonjima, home of the AfriCat Foundation”? In our Autumn issue we learnt that at Okonjima tourism supports conservation - but where exactly does AfriCat fit in? Back in the 1970s the Hanssen family ran Okonjima near Otjiwarongo as a successful cattle farm, but increasing stock losses due to large predator attacks on their livestock forced them to explore alternative farming methods (you can read the full story in issue no. 17 of Travel News Namibia).

What a treat to stroll through the veils of twilight, to float across the sky like a slowly forming thought. Flying an airplane, one usually travels the shortest distance between two points. Balloonists can dawdle, lollygag, cast their fate to the wind and become part of the ebb and flow of nature, part of the sky itself, held aloft like any bird, leaf or spore.

Tourism is everyone’s business, and Namibia’s tourism family once again demonstrated commitment, passion and team-work aimed at advancing Namibia as destination of choice globally. As has become tradition, the Hospitality Association of Namibia hosts an annual tourism awards gala to help honour and celebrate the top performers in the industry.